Since the mid-1980s, the University of Florida's Tropical Conservation and Development (TCD) Program has drawn on multiple disciplines, methods and skills to understand and address the challenges of complex social-ecological systems in the tropics. The Tropical Conservation and Development (TCD) Program draws on the participation of core faculty and approximately 100 faculty affiliates housed in over 25 academic units across campus. The TCD program complements the knowledge and skill sets that students develop in their home units, emphasizing student learning outside their immediate discipline and the ability to think in terms of linked social-ecological systems, work in teams, communicate in nonacademic formats, and reflect critically on their own perspectives and actions. TCD funds support regular competitions for graduate fellowships, assistantships, research grants, and student practitioner experiences, as well as orientations and retreats, a weekly student-led seminar series and other on- and off-campus activities that support collective learning about the cutting-edge thinking and practical issues of conservation and development. An interdisciplinary student organization and an alumni network provide valuable opportunities for critical discussion, collaboration, and sharing of practical experience. You can get involved in the TCD community by subscribing to the TCD listserv or participating in TCD events. If you are a new student, see the Step by Step page of how to sign up for a TCD Concentration/Certificate. We invite you to navigate through the TCD Program's website and contact us for more information or questions!
